Particular attention is being given at present to the industrial development of electric vehicles. For this purpose, a key element for determining the range of such vehicles and for encouraging their use lies in large-scale deployment of charging infrastructure.
In the present application, the term “electric vehicle” is used to designate any vehicle for travel on land or on water, that runs fully or in part on electrical energy, and that includes one or more electrical members that need to be recharged periodically. The vehicle may be a land vehicle having two or four wheels, such as a car, an electrically-assisted bicycle, or indeed a scooter. It may also be a boat. The vehicles may be private vehicles, utility vehicles, or public transport vehicles. Such a vehicle may be a hybrid vehicle having both an electric motor and a fuel-burning engine, or it may be an all-electric vehicle.
Charger devices may be installed in public or private areas accessible to such vehicles. Existing techniques include that of slow-charging terminals. That solution requires relatively low power and makes it possible to use various types of battery that present little memory effect and that are thus suitable for being subjected to successive short recharging operations without significantly shortening their lifetimes. The short distances traveled in a built-up area and the length of time spent parked mean that this type of charging is suitable for traveling in a built-up area.
It is known, e.g. from document FR 2 890 476, to make charging terminals available by the roadside.
Nevertheless, such a solution presents several drawbacks:                the cost of terminals in terms of investment and maintenance;        their vulnerability to acts of vandalism;        civil engineering costs and costs of connection to the electricity network;        the burdensome nature of procedures;        the long time required to implement the system;        little flexibility in installation;        the nuisance associated with major roadworks; and        overall carbon and energy balances of the investment that are uncertain or not very favorable.        